Wednesday, February 19, 2014

A few years ago if you had asked me which country in the world makes the best bread, I would have undoubtedly said France. But with travel and experience my belief in French bread superiority has been questioned by a quiet little country in the north that is an idyllic foodie capital = Denmark. The Danes creativity in the food scene is unparalleled by anything I personally have come into contact with during my travels. The flavor profile, texture and weight of the food is perfectly satisfying during the dark cold winter days.

Denmark, as with all Scandanavian Countries, has particularly high rates of Diabetes. Danish food isn't particularly diabetic friendly but there are some great options for diabetics trying to stick to a move low glycemic, high vegetable path. Kale is everywhere and the most popular bread is a very low glycemic danish rye bread which serves as the base to Denmark's many varieties of open faced sandwiches.

Here are some pictures from my recent trip to the lovely Copenhagen.

Danish workers gather at a Smørrebrød cafe. Smørrebrød are a variety of open faced rye sandwiches traditional to Danish cuisine. This particular cafe was located in an indoor weather proof food market, where local and seasonal produce is sold year round to Copenhagen Natives. The cafe's tasty concept bite du jour was the new mini Smørrebrød sandwiches called smushi, a cross between sushi and open faced rye sandwiches.

Market life

Danish Fish Market

The Famous Smørrebrød.

These open faced sandwiches are made on sour dough Rye bread, which is super low glycemic so perfect for diabetics!

My first Caviar dish!

Thanks to the beautiful Copenhagen for the lovely inspiration! I am planning on getting creative and whipping up some vegetarian Smørrebrød pretty soon.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Ready for something wild? How about a vibrant colored purple
powered soup? This soup is a testament to the amazing effortless beauty of
natural foods, particularly fruits and vegetables. Amidst the grey weather of
Istanbul, the month of January seems to be the month of purple food. As I walk
along the Istanbuli streets, the deep purple of eggplant dishes can be found in
every window, the vibrant pigmentation of pickled purple cabbage at every
restaurant and last week I scored some amazing purple carrots at the farmers
market. Traditionally purple has been considered a color to represent the
divine, so it’s only fitting that this purple power soup is so healthy and
delicious that it will leave you feeling like a [God]dess .

Health Summary

Are you on a budget and worried about how to eat healthy
without spending $12 on a green juice? Well I know a thing or two about eating
healthy on a budget and one of my favorite ways to eat food high in nutrients
and low in cost is to eat lots and lots of soup. I try to make at least one soup
a week during the winter, changing up the flavor with different vegetables and
legumes. Cabbage is great, considering it’s both incredible affordable and cleansing
for the body, not to mention low in carbohydrates. This soup also contains apple,
carrots and onion, all very supportive of healthy digestion.

MYTH

Origin: Mediterranean

Myth: British
Isles, Greece, Egypt, Northern Europe,

Symbolic
Significance: Moon, tears, anti wine, romance, future spouse

The Man in the Moon

I particularly enjoy this story given the many childhood
memories I have of gazing up into the dazzling full moon on chilly winter
nights in the countryside. In Northern Europe there exists a legend of a man
who, in desperation, stole a cabbage from his neighbor. As punishment this man
was sent to the moon [i.e. becoming the man in the moon] to serve as a reminder
to the people that even in desperation it is never acceptable to steal
anything.

PurPle Power SouP

Ingredients

Butter

1 small eggplant

1 small head of purple cabbage

3 purple carrots [ orange are okay]

1 broth cube or homemade broth

1 onion

1 apple

cinnamon

salt

tahini

parsley or other fresh herbs

1. In a large saucepan, put water on the stove, and heat until boiling [ or homemade chicken or vegetable bone broth if you have it].

Thursday, January 23, 2014

One of my favorite
things about living in Istanbul is the amazing variety of produce found at the
local markets. Unlike America, where farmer's markets tend to be more expensive,
Istanbul street markets are a location where you can score vegetables fresh from
the surrounding villages for a fraction of the price. Last week, I bought all
that I could carry home with me for about 7 USD. Pretty amazing! Well one the
favorite things I scored this week were some amazing purple carrots! They are a
beautiful deep purple on the outside and fade into a tie died looking purple
white on the inside. To show off their splendor I chose to whip up a “Crazy
Carrot Salad” for lunch.

Health Summary

The main thing I like about carrots is their subtle sweetness, even
when raw. Raw carrots are a great low calorie way to get some crunch into your
diet. Carrots are a particularly good swap for my blood sugars, instead of
crackers and chips, with snacks like Hummus. So, to my sugar conscious friends
out there, happy guilt free crunching… in purple, white OR orange!

MYTH Introduction

Origin: Mediterranean,
Southwest Asia

Myth: Buddhism

Symbolic
Significance: Blood

The Buddhist Myth of Mu Lien

In ancient Buddhist myth, the remarkable depth
of color of the purple carrot comes from the blood of Buddha Mu Lien’s fingers.
While alive, Mu Lien’s mother ate and killed with no regard to the life she
was consuming. She was then sent to the underworld after her death. While his
mother was indulgent, Mu Lien was a pious young man who was a
devout worshiper of God. He eventually became a Buddha and used his power
to enter the underworld to rescue his mother.

Unfortunately, the moment she came to the surface, she
quickly pulled some white carrots from the earth and devoured them. Mu
Lien, afraid that his mother would be condemned to damnation for the rest of
eternity, cut off his own finger and placed it into the earth. The blood from his finger seeped into the surrounding carrots and
hence, purple carrots were created.

Ancient Carrot Salad

2purple carrots

2 orange carrots

2 cucumbers

4oz of Goat Cheese

Fresh Middle Eastern Orange Dressing

Juice of 1 orange

Juice of 1 Lemon

3 or 4 TBS of Tahini

Cayenne pepper to taste [optional]

Black pepper

1. Cut the cucumbers lengthwise into long thing slices

2. First peel the carrots and discard the skins. Continue peeling the carrots into long strips [looks like spaghetti]. Be sure to keep the purple and orange separated.

3. Assemble the salad by first putting down the cucumber slices and then layering the orange carrot strips and the purple carrot strips. Sprinkle with fresh goat cheese.

4. Dressing = Mix all ingredients together and serve on the side of the salad.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Lentils are a vitality powerhouse, full of healthy fiber and
satisfying protein. I love these gems when I am trying to stay satiated
while keeping my meat intake down. I have found ways of eating them for every
meal of the day. Lentils for breakfast are actually one of my favorite ways to
eat them. Their earthy flavor mingles wonderfully with cinnamon and cardamom
for a gentle sweetness that is both satisfying and nutritious.

Health Summary

One of the best things about lentils is their low glycemic
index, especially when compared to rice and wheat. These little guys, slowly
release their energy into your body keeping you full and satisfied far longer
than a big bowl of white flour pasta. Lentils also win out on being a great
source of vegetarian protein. I love eating vegan and vegetarian meals and try
to keep most of my meals in this realm. I do this mostly for the environment,
rather than health considering I feel pretty great both vegetarian and with a
bit of meat in my diet. So if you’re trying to go green, forget the electric
car, instead try choosing lentils over meat and fish a few times a week.
Diabetics…. Lentils will rock your socks off! I find they get absorbed super slowly so I never get blood sugar spikes. = I notice
that because they release slowly, I tend to give myself two shots, one before I
eat and one about thirty minutes later. See what works for you.

MYTH

Lentils have served as an essential food for survival since
the Neolithic peoples of the Middle East. There are references to Lentils in
the Bible, as well as, Egyptian and Celtic Mythology. In general lentils were linked quite
closely to the moon and to the underworld.

In Modernity All Souls Day is a Catholic celebration of the
dead. Although currently celebrated by Catholics all around the world, All
Souls Day has roots in ancient Celtic tradition. The Celtic people believed
that All Souls Day was the day when the dead returned to the earth and these
zombies came hungry. And hungry…means HANGRY [ahem..hungry and angry together].

Thus to avoid the Hangriness of the dead, the Celtic people
believed it necessary to feed them. In the Celtic tradition [as in Egypyian mythology]
lentils were symbols of death and of the world that exists below. This is
likely due to the fact that when legumes died and were again buried
underground; they would soon bear new offerings of sustenance. Thus, it seemed
only fitting to offer the souls of the underworld a food source that also
seemingly resurrected.

There are so many ways to cook up and use lentils, it was
quite hard for me to decide which lentil dish to post. But in the end I decided
on a delicious and simple Lentil Hummus, A great snack to keep in the fridge
and easily made into a healthy and affordable lunch with a bunch of sliced up
vegetables. Enjoy your dipping!

Lucious Lazy Lentil Hummus

Ingredients =

1 cup of Lentils [cooked]

1/4 cup of Tahini

Juice of 1 or 2 Lemons

salt to taste

onion [optional]

garlic [ optonal]

Olive oil [optiona]

Parsley for decoration.

1.Cook Lentils according to the directions on the
bag.

2.Once cooked, allow to cool.

3.Once cool, add tahini, lemon, salt and optional
ingredients.

4.With an immersion blender blend together
until smooth.

5.If
serving now, serve in a bowl and decorate with tomatoes and a lemon.